Septic tank friendly landscaping: Enhancing your system’s surroundings
14 May 2025 by CSG
Septic systems often sit out of sight and out of mind beneath the surface of household gardens in the UK, but not all the parts of these systems are concealed below the ground. Tanks will often have visible manhole covers and vent pipes that can stick out of the ground.
While there are things that you should never bury under or build over these visible components of your system, there are safe methods of concealing them. From decorative landscaping to garden ornaments, you have plenty of options to disguise these incongruous features from your garden.
Plants can help your septic tanks drainage system by removing moisture and nutrients from the soil. Plant cover is also important to reduce any soil erosion that could happen to your garden.
Read on to find out what you can do (and what you can’t do) to make your septic system more appealing, both for your eyes and for wildlife alike!
Understanding your septic system
A septic tank or sewage treatment plant will take the wastewater from your property’s toilets, sinks, baths and showers, dishwashers and washing machines.
The wastewater leaves your property through drainage pipes to your septic tank, and will usually pass through a number of inspection chambers or manholes.
A septic tank doesn’t work in isolation. In order to perform its function, it must connect to a drainage field or soakaway system.
A drainage field is a network of pipes which follow on from a septic tank or sewage treatment plant.
The purpose of a drainage field is to allow the liquid waste that has left the septic tank to filter through the soils surrounding the pipework, and the pipework is typically perforated or slotted to enable this to happen.
You can get more specific information about your septic tank, cesspit or sewage treatment plant by clicking the link here!
Want to learn more about managing your off-mains sewage system? Conservation organisations, like The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Widlife Trust, help to better educate off-mains homeowners to help improve their practices. They have put together a helpful guide that you can access here that helps ensure you have a safe, legal and efficient system.
Landscaping do’s and don’ts around septic system
Don’t plant trees or large plants too close to your septic system or drainage field, as this can lead to serious problems. The roots of these plants are naturally drawn to sources of water and nutrients, making your septic tank and drain field prime targets. Over time, roots can infiltrate the tank, pipes, and drain field, causing blockages and damage that can be expensive to repair.
Don’t use heavy objects on your tank cover. Even if you have a cover that can hold hundreds of kilos, that cover must remain accessible for periodic emptying, so whatever you place on top of it must be easy to remove.
Do plant ornamental grasses or normal grass. Grass is an excellent choice for covering the area around your septic system. It has shallow roots that won’t interfere with the system and helps prevent soil erosion. Ornamental grass will also grow tall enough to create a visual barrier to hide septic tank covers and vent pipes. However, be wary that ornamental grass grows quickly and can soon overwhelm your septic tank cover.
Don’t bury the septic tank lid. Doing so makes it harder for a technician to access it when it needs a service or empty. It also allows rainwater to drain into the septic tank, which can cause the system to overflow into your garden or even back up into your house.
Do decorate your tank lid with small ornaments. While you should never place heavy weight on your septic tank lid, you can place smaller objects that weigh less than 50 kilograms on top of it.
Wildlife-friendly plants for septic tank areas
There are a quite a few plants you can put near to your septic tank or drain field as their roots don’t grow that long, meaning they are not strong enough to damage your septic tank.
FAQs
If done correctly, wildlife-friendly landscaping can attract helpful pollinators and small birds. However, avoid overusing bird feeders or leaving food sources near the system, which can attract larger, potentially damaging pests.
Absolutely. Avoid installing patios, sheds, ponds, retaining walls, or heavy decorative rocks near your septic area. These can compact the soil, obstruct maintenance, or damage the system.
Fruit trees and vegetables will send roots down into the soil to find water and nutrients. Any vegetables that are growing on the drainage field may then be able to reach the wastewater and take up pathogens and pollutants, including viruses, that could infect anyone who eats the vegetables. Therefore, it is not safe to eat vegetables that have grown above a drainage field. Placing raised beds over the drainage area isn’t a good solution either. The added soil depth of the beds may inhibit evaporation and limit the effectiveness of the septic system.
Seasonally — check for pooling water, overgrowth, erosion, or signs of animal interference.
We hope this guide has been helpful on your journey to creating a septic tank-friendly garden! If you’ve followed our tips and have any photos of your tank-friendly plot, we’d love to see them. Feel free to share your pictures with us on Facebook or tag us on X — we might even feature your garden on our page!
CSG are available to support you and your sewage system. Through advice and proactive measures to installations, maintenance and sewage collections.
CSG are a trusted company with more than 90 years of experience. We are also members of British Water and have trained accredited British Water engineers ready to tackle any sewage related issues you encounter. Call us on 0808 303 8455 or make an online enquiry here to learn more today!
